Make Yourself Smile

Kathryn J. Raths, LLC photo

Today, while I was in the women's prison, co-facilitating a therapy group, I participated in a meditation. It was an empowerment exercise about gathering and feeling our power. We first grounded ourselves by planting our feet firmly on the floor and sitting up straight. Then we started deep breathing. We pressed our hands together and then pressed our feet firmly onto the floor to gather our strength. Then, we released and repeated the process. The person who led the meditation instructed us, and as we released the energy, she told us to smile the victor’s smile. This was described as a half smile.

It got me thinking about smiling and all of the benefits this small thing can give us.

Amazingly, a smile can create endorphins (a feel-good chemical), lower our heart rate, reduce stress, and boost our immune system.

I mean, come on, we’re talking about a smile. Pretty cool, huh?

How often do you think you smile in a day? However often it is, I don’t think it is enough. I challenge you to be aware of your smiles and face each day with an intent to share more happiness with the world; let's smile away, my friend!